Social Justice

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE - PAGE 5

OSLO: India on Monday criticised developed countries for increasing non-tariff barriers saying such a practice is costing developing countries $100 billion a year, and said a new development agenda based on social justice is needed to protect interests of the Third World. "The North is consciously raising the non-tariff barriers which costs developing countries $100 billion a year -twice as much as they recieve in aid," Commerce and Industry Minister Murasoli Maran said while delivering the keynote address at the World Bank's Annual conference here.

NEW DELHI: Flashing the law ministry's stand that the Centre can extend job quotas to the private sector even without amending the Constitution , the ministry of social justice has started pushing reluctant corporates to act on their own to ward off state intervention. The point is learnt to have been conveyed by social justice minister Meira Kumar to Infosys chief NR Narayana Murthy and Thermax boss Anu Agha. In both the cases, the minister was learnt to have told her guests that resistance would leave the government with no option other than bring in a law to push the quota jurisdiction to private sector.

The decision of the National Monitoring Committee for Minorities Education (NMCME) of the HRD ministry to recommend sufficient quota for Muslim students in IITs and IIMs is a step in the right direction. One hopes that the UPA government will follow it up and implement the decision of the NMCME with a view to ensuring social justice at the national level. Such steps will go a long way in assuring the hapless Muslims in the lower strata of Indian society of their due place in the country in due course.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the government was considering expansion of a pilot scheme that focuses on integrated development of villages with large Scheduled Caste presence. "The central government has launched a pilot centrally-sponsored scheme Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana in five States, Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. This is for integrated development of 1000 villages with Scheduled Caste majority populations.

GUMLA (JHARKHAND): Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh Friday accused the BJP of becoming a one-man-centric party and claimed that the Congress alone could do justice to all sections of society. Ramesh also noted while addressing a poll meeting here that the BJP was yet to announce its manifesto, which is a "matter to think over". "The Congress's ideology is based on social justice while the BJP has become a one-man-centric party. The BJP has failed to announce its manifesto till now and is a matter to think over," Ramesh said here.

NEW DELHI: The government is holding talks with corporate firms to enhance the employability skills of youth , Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawaar Chand Gehlot today said. Addressing the gathering on the occasion of Samajik Nyay Divas here, he stressed the need for developing skills of the youth, citing the emphasis of the Prime Minister in this regard. Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla said that the ministry played a pivotal role in promoting and marketing products, manufactured by its beneficiaries, hailing from the rural pockets.

MUMBAI: Proposal to amend the Indian Penal Code to make the definition of rape 'gender-neutral' was still under consideration, the Union Government told the Bombay High Court today. The court was hearing a public interest litigation seeking protection of the fundamental rights of the eunuch and trangender community. The current definition of rape (section 375 of IPC) only covers the cases where the victim is woman. The division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sanklecha, at the last hearing, had asked the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to state what steps it proposed to take in this regard.

NEW DELHI: The new National Policy for Senior Citizens is under finalisation, the Lok Sabha was informed today. Replying to a question, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Sudarshan Bhagat said, in order to improve the living standard of senior citizens, different ministries and departments of the Government of India , along with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment are implementing various welfare...

NEW DELHI: Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi today condoled the passing away of Justice V R Krishna Iyer , describing him as a "true liberal" and paying tribute to his deep commitment to the cause of social justice. Describing Justice Iyer as the most impressive model for jurists in India, the Congress President said "Iyer was a true liberal and an intellectual giant. He will be remembered for his reformative and progressive judgments. "Some of the judgments he delivered have shaped the way India functions today.

NEW DELHI: The Government today said that no definite time frame can be envisaged for passing the Right to Persons with Disabilities Bill at this stage. Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishanpal Gurjar said that the ministry had received representations from individuals, associations, of persons with disabilities and disabilities, activist groups, on the bill, after it was introduced in Rajya Sabha on February 7, 2014.